Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-12-10
CHAPTER III.

! To Kate's surprise the lower part of the
house was deserted, but there was an unusual
activity on the floor above, and the sound Of
! heavy steps. There were alien marks of
dusty feet on the scrupulously clean passage,
and on the first step of the stairs spot of
blood. With a sudden genuine alarm that
| drove her previous adventure from her mind,
/ she iEnpatently called her sisters name.
There was hasty yet sa6aued rustic Of
skirts on The staircase and Mrs. Hale, with
her finger on her lip, swept Kate unceren1o-
niously into the sitting room, closed the door
and leaned back against it, with a faint smile.
! She had crunpied paper in her hand.
"Dont be alarmed, but read that first" she
said, handing her sister the paper. "It was
brought just now"
| Kate instantly recognized her brothers dis
| tinct hand. She read hurriedly. "The coach
was robbed last night nobody hurt. I've
lost nothing but days time, as this business
will keep me here until tomorrow, when
| Manuel can join me with fresh horse. No
cause for alarm. As the bearer goes out Of
his way to bring you this, see that he wants
Tor nothing"
aWelln said Kate, expectantly.
"Well, the bearer was fired upon by the
| robbers, who were lurking on the ridge. He
was wounded in the leg. Luckily he was
| picked up by his friend, who was coming to
meet him, and brought here as the nearest
! place He's upstairs in the spare bed in the
spare room, with his friend, who won't leave
his side. He won't even have mother in the
room They've stopped the bleeding with
| Johns ambulance things, and now, Kate,
here's a chance for you to show the value of
| your education in the ambulance class. The
ball has got to be extracted. Here's your op-
] portunity."
\ Kate looked at her sister curiously. There
was a faint pink flush on her pale cheeks, and
her eyes were gently sparkling. She had
never seen her look SO pretty before
"Why not have sent Manuel for doctor at
once?" asked Kate.
"The nearest doctor is fifteen miles away,
and Manuel is nowhere to be found. Per
haps he's gone to look after the stock. There's
some talk Of snow; imagine the absurdity
| of it'll"
| "But who are they"
"They speak of themselves as friends as
| if it were profession The wounded ons
was passenger, suppose"
"But what are they like?" continued Kate
~ suppose they're like them ALL"
Mrs. Hale shrugged her shoulders
"The wounded one. when he's not faintin@
away, is laughing. The other is creatur
with a mustache, and gloomy beyond ex-
preston"
"What are you going to do with them!
said Kate.
''What should do? Even without john
letter l could not refuse the shelter of my
house to wounded and helpless man,
shall keep him, of course, until John comes.
Why, Kate, really believe you are so pre-
iudiced against these people you'd like to
turn them out But forget! It's becaus
you like them so well. Well, you need not
fear to expose yourself to the fascinations OF
the wounded Christy Minstrel-Tm snre he'
that--or to the unspeakable one, who is shy
ness itself, and would not dare to raise his
eyes to you"
There was a tind, hesitating step in the
passage. 1t paused before the door, moved
away, returned, and finally asserted its in
tentions in the gentlest of taps.
"Its him; I'm sure of it." said Mrs. Hale.
with a suppressed smile
Kate threw open the door smartly, to the
ext mo discontinue of a tall, dark figure
that already had skunk away from it. For
all that he was good looking enough fel
low, with mustache as long and almost as
flexible as a ringlet. Kate could not help
noticing also that his hand, which was ner-
vously pulling the mustache, was white and
thin.
"Excuse me. he stammered, without rails
ing his eyes, II was looking for-for-the old
lady. IL beg your pardon. didn't know
that you-the young ladies-company-wc
here. intended-I only wanted to say that
my friend" He stopped at the slight
smile that passed quickly over Mrs Hale's
mouth and his pale face Redeemed with an
angry flush
Il hope he is not worse" said Mrs Hale,
with more than her usual languid gentle
ness. sMy- mother is. not here at present.
Can lean tUe-<this Is my sister--do as wellr'
Without looking up he made constrained
recognition Of Kate's presence, that, embar-
raised and curt as it was, had none Of the
awkwardness Of rusticity.
THANK you; you're very kind. But my
friend is a littlestronger, and if you can lend
me an extra horse I'll try to get him ON the
Summit tonight"
But you surely will not take him away
from us so soon3" said Mrs. Hale, with
languid look Of al"rm, in which Kate, how
ever, detected certain real feeling. swat
at least until my husband returns to-mor-
row."
"He won't be here tomorrow" said tho
stranger hastily He stopped, and as quickly
corrected himself "That is, his business is
so very uncertain, my friend says"
Only Kate noticed the slip; but she noticed
also that her sister was apparently uncon-
scious of it "You think" she said, "that
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